The First Air Force One Takes To The Skies Again

Our friends at Boneyard Safari have been very busy over the past year rebuilding the first Air Force One. The Lockheed VC-121 Constellation had fallen into disrepair. A group of men and women came together to reclaim a part of history. Not only did they restore the famed aircraft, they made it airworthy again. And they are putting together a beautiful documentary to tell their story. Our friend, Ramon had this to say about their upcoming film:

We are very excited to be filming the return to flight of Columbine II. She is America’s Airplane, having served President Eisenhower from January 1953 to November 1954. Columbine II is a Lockheed VC-121A-LO Constellation. The Presidential call sign Air Force One was established, due to an incident in 1953. An Eastern Airlines flight 8610 was in the same airspace as President Eisenhower on Air Force flight 8610. Prompting the adoption of the unique call sign Air Force One, whenever the President of the United States of America was on board any Air Force aircraft. It is an honor to document a part of American aviation history.

We have been intensively researching Columbine II’s history. We are traveling the country to obtain the stories of a wide variety of individuals that have had a part in Columbine II’s history. Our goal is to share this story with future generations, so that the memories of the men and woman involved in Columbine II’s history are preserved for all time. We are looking for anyone that served with Columbine II. The overwhelming interest in Columbine II’s return to flight has been inspirational, Boneyard Safari’s role is more than just filming the documentary it is assisting in preserving a piece of America’s heritage.

We’re excited to see the full video unveiled and congratulate the fine folks at Boneyard Safari on their accomplishment.